Office



J. C. RAMSHER.

FILM'WINDING AND REWINDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2B. 1919.

1 ,3 1 3,733 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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11 l m H |H "i I J N R1 l i WITNESSES: INVEINTOH A TTORNEY I. c.HAMSHERQ FILM WINDING AND REWINDING APPARATUS.

APPLlCATlON HLED FEB. 28, 1919- win/88583 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

INVENTOR TTORNE Y UNITE STATES JOHN C. RAMISHER, 0F, SHE

NANDOBI-I, PENNSYLVANIA.

FILM WIN DIN G AND REWINDING APPARATUS.

Application filed February 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. RAMsHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at, Shenandoah, in the county of Schuylkill and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Film \Vindingand Rewinding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has for its general object to provide film-windingand rewinding mechanism in a unitary apparatus in which the parts are soconstructed and relatively arranged that a number of reels may be usedin succession and while one film is being run to display the picturesthereon in a kinetoscope, the preceding film, the pictures of which havebeen exhibited, Will be rewound.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have elected to illustratean apparatus for handling five films in succession together with thereels complementary to the films and the appurtenances of the reels; andthe novelty, utility and practical advantage of the invention will befully understood from the following description and claims when the sameare read in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming partof this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the unitary apparatus constituting thebest practical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line22 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken diametrically through one of thereels.

Fig. 4 is a section taken in the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig-3, looking in the direction indicated by arrow and showing the meanscomplementary to each reel for preventing casual turning thereof.

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged perspective showing the fastener of eachreel for attaching one end of a film thereto.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings.

I prefer to have my novel apparatus comprise a plurality of, say six,plates 1, each of which is of the configuration shown in Fig. 2. Thesaid plates 1 are arranged in spaced relation, Fig. 1. and are heldapart by sleeves 2 and nuts 3. and are also. through the said agency,connected together so as to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919. Serial No. 279,701.

be capable of movement toward the left on rods 1 and also toward theright in Fig. 1 as a unit.

Extending loosely through the plates 1 and at right angles thereto areshafts 4 and 5, each of which is provided at an intermediate point ofits length with a portion 6 of angular form in cross-section. The saidshafts 4 and 5 are designed to be continuously rotated through anysuitable driving connection from the means usually employed foractuating a kinetoscope or moving picture machine. There are five reels7 on the shaft 4, and five reels 8 on the shaft 5, and each reel isprovided with a central bore 9 of a shape and size to receive theangular portion 6 of its respective shaft, and is also provided with acentral lateral projection 10 at the left, Fig. 1, through which thesaid bore extends. Each reel is also provided at its left-hand side witha spring-pressed detent 11 that is adapted to be engaged with an arcuaterack 12 on the opposed plate 1, Fig. 4. This provision manifestlypermits of each reel being secured against casual rotation until it isdesired to put the same into use, whereupon the operator manuallydisengages the detent 11 from the rack 12 and then slides the body 13 towhich the detent is hinged at 14 in- Wardly in'the housing loops 15,until said pivot belt 14 is inwardly beyond the outer housing loop, whenthe detent will be retained out of engagement with the rack 12. Todetachably secure each reel against rotation, the operation described isreversed. In its hub 16 each reel is provided with a concavity 17, andhinged to the hub is a hollow fastener 18 in which is a finger'piece 19and which fastener is normally and yieldingly retained in workingposition by a spring 20.

At 21 are idler rollers, and at 22 are films passed over said rollers 21and fastened at their ends to the reels in the manner described, anddesigned to be wound off the upper reels and on the lower reels and viceversa. as hereinafter explicitly set forth.

Suitably supported at 23 is a manipulating lever 24, having a detent 25,Fig. 1, and interposed between the said lever 24 and the adjacent endplate 1 is a link 26. Y Supported in proper proximitv to the detent 25and the remainder of the apparatus is an arcuate rack 27 having atintervals seats 28 to receive the detent. The said seats beingpreferably numbered in regular sequence as illustrated.

In the practical use of my novel apparatus it will be manifest that byadvancing the apparatus step by step toward the left in Fig. 1, thefirst reels toward the left will be turned by reason of the lower reeltoward the left being engaged b the angularportion 6 of the lower sha 5.Before such engagement is efiected it is the province of the operator torelease the upper and lower reels toward the left by manipulation of thedetents 11 complementary thereto, and when the engagement'describedtakes place the film com lementary to the reels mentioned will ObVlOllSlbe wound upon the lower reel toward t e left and off the upper reeltoward the left. At the completion of the run of the said film for theexhibition of the pictures thereon the apparatus is moved as a unittoward the left so as to put the second lower reel from the left inengagement with the angular portion 6 of the lower shaft 5, and thisengagement is also effected after the upper and lower second reels fromthe left have been manually released for rotation. In consequence of thesaid manipulation the second film from the left will be let off theupper reel from the left and taken up on the lower reel from the left,and at the same time, by reason of the upper reel toward the left havingbeen engaged with the angular portion 6 of the upper shaft 4, the firstfilm toward the left will be rewound on the upper reel toward the left.This operation is continued in step by step manner until all of thefilms have been manipulated in the manner described.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that it is within the purview ofmy invention for the apparatus shown in Fig. l to be handled and ship edas a unit, in which event provision Wlll be made for the readyconnection of the rod 1 to a kinetoscope, and the similar connection ofthe shafts 4 and 5 to the means employed for the actuation of thekinetoscope, or the said rods 1 may be supported and the shafts 4 and 5may be rotated in any other approved manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. The combination of a shaft having a driving portion, a plurality ofreels loose and movable laterally on the shaft and successively intoengagement with said driving portion to be rotated thereby, and meansthrough which the reels are so moved.

2. The combination of shafts arranged in and parallel relation and eachhaving a driving portion of one, shaft being in advance of the drivingportion of the other, a plurality of reels loose and movable laterallyon each of the shafts and successively into enga ement with the drivingportion thereof to e successively rotated thereby, and means throughwhich the reels are so moved.

3. The combination of a shaft having an angular portion, a plurality ofreels loose and movable laterally on the shaft and each having anangular bore to receive said angular portion when the reels are movedsuccessively into engagement therewith, and means through which thereels are so moved.

4. The combination of shafts arranged in spaced and parallel relationand each having an angular portion; the angular portion of one shaftbeing in advance of that of the other, sets of reels loose and movablelaterally on each shaft and each having an angular bore to successivelyengage the angular portion of its respective shaft, and means throughwhich the reels are so moved.

5. The combination spaced and parallel relation and each having anangular portion; the angular portion of one shaft being in advance ofthat of the other, sets of reels loose and movable laterally on eachshaft and each having an angular bore to successively engage the angularportion of its respective shaft, means for laterally moving the reels,means for effecting connection of films to the reels, means for holdingthe reels against casual rotation, said means being detachable, a handleconnected with the means for moving the reels, and means for adjustablyfixing said handle.

6. The combination of shafts arranged in spaced and parallel relationand each having a driving portion; the driving portion of one shaftbeing in advance of that of the other, a plurality of reels loose andmovable laterally on each shaft and successively into engagement withthe driving portion thereof to be rotated by said driving portion, meansthrough which all of the reels are moved laterally as a unit, and manualmeans connected with said moving means.

7 The combination of spaced plates, a shaft extending therethrough, areel loose on the shaft, 21 rack on one of the plates, and a detent onthe reel and constructed and arranged to be yieldingly pressed intoengagement with the rackand also constructed and arranged to bedetachably secured out of engagement with the rack.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- JOHN C. RAMSHER.

spaced driving portion; the

of shafts arranged in

